Automatic cigarette lighter-dispenser



Sept. 8, 1910 w. D. TAYLOR 3,527,381

AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE LIGHTER-DISPENSER Filed June 6, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet1 mvu'ron William D .Tuylor BY M M (51 2,4 {WATTORNFYS Sept. 8, 1970 w.D. TAYLOR 3,527,381

AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE LIGHTER-DISPENSER Filed June 6, 1968 S Sheets-SheetI INVENTOR William D. Taylor Sept. 8, 1970 w. D. TAYLOR 3,527,381

I AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE LIGHTER-DISPENSER Filed June 6, 1968 3Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR William D. Toylo r United States Patent3,527,381 AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE LIGHTER-DISPENSER William D. Taylor,Etobicoke, Toronto, Canada, assignor to Ronson Corporation, Woodbridge,N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 6, 1968, Ser. No. 735,056Int. Cl. A24f /10 US. Cl. 221-15 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Anapparatus for containing a plurality of cigarettes and igniting anddispensing one cigarette at a time, including an ignition means, a timerfor operating the ignition means for an appropriate time period, anactuator for starting the ignition means and the timer, and a movabledrawer which when opened dispenses a lit cigarette and when closed windsthe timer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This inventionrelates to apparatus for containing, igniting and dispensing cigarettes,and more particularly to apparatus which, after its operation isinitiated, ignites and dispenses the cigarettes automatically.

Description of the prior art Prior art apparatus of the type describedabove, each generally includes a storage chamber for containing aplurality of cigarettes, an ignition means, a transport mechanism forconveying one cigarette at a time from the chamber to the ignition meansand for ejecting or dispensing each lit cigarette. Alternatively thecigarettes may merely fall between locations instead of being positivelymoved. An apparatus having a transport mechanism is often driven by aspring or an electric rotary motor with power transmitted from themotors drive shaft, through a gear train or cam, to thecigarette-transport mechanism. The ignition means is usually an electricheat element.

When operating properly these prior art apparatus dispense an ignitedcigarette with each complete cycle or sequence of operations; however,the various structures have inherent drawbacks causing either unreliableoperation or costly manufacture. With certain cigarette-transport meanseach cigarette is grasped and moved axially rearward for ignition, thenaxially forward for dispensing. This requires a substantially complexmechanism with relatively expensive components and it has been foundthat damaged or imperfectly formed cigarettes, which do occur, willcause jamming of such a device. Furthermore, when an electric motor isused in addition to an electric ignition means, the electric currentrequirement for the apparatus as a Whole is often impractical.

Another prior art transport means comprises a revolving drum thatcarries cigarettes in grooves spaced around the drums outer surface.This requires a rotary motor and other components for driving andregulating the drum, and it has drawbacks similar to those of themechanism described above as regards complexity and jamming of imperfectcigarettes.

Some prior apparatus have cigarette storage chamber sub-assemblies thatare rather complex in view of their purpose. Each chamber floorcomprises tilting or sliding inclined plates defining between them ametered opening for releasing cigarettes to the ignition element. Thishas been considered an improvement over an ordinary gravity feed inwhich cigarettes often become jammed,

3,527,381 Patented Sept. 8, 1970 however, this more effective mechanismrequires numerous precision moving parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is an improved apparatus forautomatically igniting and dispensing cigarettes one at a time, Theapparatus housing includes a cigarette-storage chamber with a meteringopening in a lower part thereof when the housing is in uprightorientation. A drawer having a cigarette-carriage part is movablymounted in the housing between a first position where the carriage partis disposed below the chamber opening for receiving a cigarettetherefrom, and a second position for dispensing an ignited cigarette. Aswitch means is provided for energizing an ignition means whereby oneend of each cigarette is ignited. Also carried by the housing is aspring-actuated timer for establishing a time interval after it isstarted. The timer is wound when its winding lever is engaged and movedby the drawer as the drawer is moved from its second to first position.An actuator is movable on the housing between rest and third positionsto thereby engage and start the timer and also close the switch means toenergize the ignition means for the timer interval, the drawer beingsubsequently movable to second position for dispensing an ignitedcigarette.

In one preferred embodiment of the new apparatus, after the operation ismanually initiated, the drawer is restrained in the first position untila cigarette is ignited, and then upon release is moved automatically tothe second position for dispensing the ignited cigarette. Also theignition means comprises an electric heating element with suitablecircuit components for energizing the ignition means and igniting thecigarettes. With certain changes a flame device could be substituted forthe electric ignition means.

In the new apparatus sequence of steps for a complete operation cycle,the final step is closing the drawer, after it has opened and an ignitedcigarette is removed. This closing movement rewinds the timer, thusrendering the apparatus preset for a new cycle. Also in this newapparatus there is no requirement for any type of rotary motor to drivea cigarette transport mechanism, because the cigarettes simply fall fromthe storage chamber to the drawer and are then carried by the drawer asin slides to its second or open position. As will be explained morefully in the description of the preferred em bodiment, this inventionprovides simplicity and reliability in comparison to the prior art, inaddition to economy of manufacture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front perspective view ofthe assembled apparatus of this invention prior to operation;

FIG. 2 is a similar front perspective view with the drawer in openposition for dispensing a lit cigarette;

FIG. 3 is a partial front perspective and exploded view of the upper andlower housing and components therein;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective and exploded view of the lower housingassembly and the actuator;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the actuator;

FIG. 6 is a partial top perspective view of the lower housing assembly;and

FIGS. 7 to 9 are schematic drawings of the movement of cigarettes as thedrawer moves from open to closed position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 and 2 show a fullyassembled preferred embodiment of the present invention in rest andactuated conditions respectively. The apparatus 10 comprises an upperhousing 11, a lower housing 12, and an actuator 13. Within the upperhousing is a cigarette storage chamber or hopper 14 for containing aplurality of cigarettes 15, a flue 16 associated with an ignition means,and a lock 17 to selectively prevent movement of the actuator 13.Another component is a drawer 18 which is in closed or first position inFIG. 1, and is in open position in FIG. 2 thereby dispensing a litcigarette.

The storage chamber 14, also shown in FIG. 3, has sufficient length toaccommodate the long commercial cigarettes in addition to those havingstandard length. The floor part 19 of this chamber is inclined downwardtoward the front portion 20 of the upper housing, thus providing agravity feed structure for directing the cigarettes toward the ignitionmeans. As further indicated in FIG. 3, the floor part 19 terminates atedge 21 leaving slot 22 through which the bottommost cigarette in thechamber may drop onto the drawer.

Other components within the housing and their interrelationship arebriefly described as follows, with detailed descriptions in laterparagraphs. With the apparatus in the rest condition before theoperation begins as shown in FIG. 1, actuator 13 is in its restposition, drawer 18 is closed, a timer inside the housing is wound andset, one cigarette is carried by the drawer, and the ignition means isnot energized. Upon depression of the actuator three separate actionsoccur: (a) the timer is started, (b) a switch is closed to energize theignition means, and (c) an entrainer urges the cigarette axially untilone end is closed adjacent the ignition means. The timer runs for aboutten seconds, during which interval the cigarette becomes ignited. At theend of this time interval the timer releases the drawer which opens anddispenses a lit cigarette; also the ignition is de-energized and theactuator returns to its rest position. Finally, after the lit cigaretteis removed from the apparatus, the drawer is slid to its closed positionwhere it receives another cigarette, and this closing movement alsowinds the timer for a subsequent cycle of operation.

In continuing the detailed description, the upper and lower housings arejoinable to form the final assembly, but they are shown separated in theexploded view of FIG. 3. Drawer 18 is slidably mounted on the lowerhousing, with its upper surface closely adjacent but not touching thelower front edge 21 of the chamber. The drawer has a front edge 23, acentral part 24, two spaced tracks 25, two side parts 26 and 27, twospaced parallel grooves that are not shown but are in the bottomsurfaces of the side parts and extend parallel to the upper tracks 25.Immediately adjacent each bottom groove in the drawer is a complementarygroove (also not shown) in the lower housing 12, and a plurality ofsteel balls are disposed between each pair of complementary grooves toprovide a low-friction sliding junction between the drawer and thehousing.

Flat springs 28 formed into a U-shape extend from the base 29 of housing12 into the dra'wers tracks which are inclined downward and rearward.The springs are biased downward into the tracks, and due to the tracksincline, the spring force biases the drawer to move forward to its openor second position for dispensing a lit cigarette. Also shown in FIG. 3are stop means for establishing the limits of the drawers movement inopen and closed positions. At the rear end of side 27 is hook part 30which is engageable to stop 31 as the drawer reaches its open position.When the drawer is moved inward to its closed or first position, lowerpart 32 of the drawers side part 26 has a downward extending hook part33 that contacts the top surface 34 of latch spring 35. The springsnormal position is slightly above the floor 29 of the lower housing towhich it is attached. Upon closing the drawer, hook 33 slides againstthe spring, maintaining it deflected downward until the hook part passesthe end 36 of the spring. At that point the end 36 returns to its normalupward position and its edge engages the hook 33 and prevents the drawerfrom moving outward, until the spring is again depressed. The drawer isguided in its straight line movement partially by the aligned groovesand partially by springs 28 being in tracks 25. Between each of thesesprings and its corresponding track is at least one steel ball to reducefriction. Of course the various steel balls could be replaced by otherantifriction components.

Near the forward end of drawer 18 is cigarette-carriage part 37. Whenthe drawer is closed the carriage part becomes disposed below chambermetering slot 22 for receiving a cigarette from the chamber. Adjacentcarriage part 37 is a clamp 38 spring-biased to pivot clockwise in theview shown in FIG. 3. Finger 39 of the clamp will descend and hold acigarette against carriage part 37 when the drawer opens, thuspreventing a lit cigarette from bouncing or falling out of the opendrawer. Subsequently, when the drawer is closed, a lever part 40 of theclampengages an edge of the lower housing, whereby the finger 39 pivotscounterclockwise leaving the carriage part 37 unobstructed to receiveanother cigarette.

The actuator 13, for initiating operation of this apparatus, is shown atrest in FIG. 1 and depressed in FIG. 2. The actuator is also shown inassociation with the timer sub-assembly 46 in the side perspective viewof FIG. 4 and in the rear perspective view of FIG. 5. The actuator has abody part 41, an upper contact surface 42, a front face 43, an interiorbeam 44, and a resilient hook element which is defiectable in a planegenerally parallel to the front face 43. Rather than being mounted onthe housing 11, this actuator is secured by arm 47 to theinternallymounted timer sub-assembly. Depression of the actuator pivotsarm 47 downward, and the arms finger element 48 starts the timer andcloses the ignition switch 64.

The timer frame is formed of upper plate 49 on which arm 47 is pivotallymounted and biased upward, and lower plate 50 mounted directly to thelower housing 12. Between these plates is mounted a spring-operatedescapement mechanism, which includes a pivotable input-output member 51.From this member extend winding lever 52 and release lever 53. FIG. 4shows in an exploded view, the actuator 13 and timer 46 combination inits proper orientation, but spaced above and to the side of lowerhousing 12. When this combination is mounted in its assembled position,winding lever 52 would be in the path of pawl 54 extending from sidepart 26 of the drawer. On closing the drawer the pawl engages lever 52and rotates member 51 until the timer becomes fully wound. As the drawerfully closes the pawl is cammed by its tapered edge 54 to a horizontalorientation to provide clearance for the winding lever 52 when the timerunwinds. At a later time when the apparatus is operated and the timerunwinds, member 51 revolves clockwise as shown in FIG. 5, with releaselever 53 engaging and depressing latch spring 34. After the timer hasrun for about 10 seconds and member 51 has fully rotated, spring 34 isdepressed enough to become disengaged from hook 33 of the drawer whichthen opens automatically due to the urging by springs 28.

For igniting the cigarettes the ignition means 55 and its associatedcircuit are provided, and shown most clearly in FIG. 3. Ignition element56 is a resistance wire which becomes electrically energized during thetiming interval. Adjacent structure above the element is a flue whichextends through the upper housing 11 to opening 16. From element 56copper strip 57 extends with its free end 58 closely adjacent end 59 ofcopper strip 60. Circuit elements 61 and 62 connect light bulb 63between strip 60 and a terminal. For controlling this circuit there isthe ignition switch means 64 comprising fixed element 65 and resilientelement 66.

Associated with the ignition operation are three additional components:spacer 67, push member 69, and circuit breaker 72. The spacer is mountedon the drawer and has a loop portion 68 adjacent one end of thecigarettecarriage part 37, when the drawer is closed the loop 68 isclosely adjacent without touching heating element 56.

The push member 69 is pivotally mounted in the upper housing 11 with itsarm 70 engaged to the actuator and its resilient arm 71 extending towardthe cigarette carriage 37. Depression of the actuator causes both armsto rotate counterclockwise.

The third component is a heat-actuated circuit breaker 72 comprising abimetallic strip having one end 73 secured to the lower housing wallnear copper strip 57 and its opposite end 74 engaged to and restrainingslidable block 75 in a forward normal operation position, with itsforward end 76 against stop 77. In this position edge 78 of the blockurges the ends 58 and 59 of copper strips 57 and 60 respectively toremain in contact and thereby permit the ignition circuit to be closed.If, however, this circuit remained closed for too long a period theignition element would overheat in addition to the fact that aconsiderable amount of electric current would be wastefully consumed. Asshown in both FIGS. 3 and 6, end 73 of circuit breaker 72 is touchingthe ignition means 55. Should the element 56 overheat, bimetallicbreaker 72 will deflect until its end 74 is disengaged from block 75which then moves rearward due to a biasing means, with the result thatcopper strip portions 58 and 59 become separated. Upon this separationthe ignition circuit is opened, as shown in FIG. 6 and later when thebreaker has cooled and returned to its normal position, block 75 may bemanually pushed forward to re-engage the breaker and re-engage strips 58and 59. This protects the apparatus from overheating, which might occurif a person held the actuator depressed without permitting the apparatusto cycle normally, or if a portion of the apparatus circuitmalfunctioned.

As indicated earlier, ignition of a cigarette involves a sequence ofsteps by diiferent components of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and5. With the apparatus in its rest condition, the drawer is closed and acigarette is disposed on the drawers cigarete-carriage part 37.Depression of actuator 13 causes arm 48 to descend and its end part 48Ato contact and depress element 66; this actuates the switch means,closes the ignition circuit and thereby energizes heating element 56.This actuator depression also causes push member 69 to rotate with aportion of its arm 71 engaging one end of a cigarette on the carriage 37and urging the cigarettes ignitable end toward the ignition means.Spacer 67 provides numerous benefits by preventing this ignitable endfrom, actually touching the ignition element. Such contact in the priorart often caused partial welding of the cigarette to the element andassociated interference with subsequent dispensing of the cigarette;this contact has also produced a residue on ignition elements whichcaused undesirable smoke and impaired subsequent ignition. In the newapparatus, the period of ignition is established by the timer which runsfor a predetermined interval after the actuator is depressed. At thelowest point of this depression, spring 45 on the actuators side engagesand locks ontothe closed drawer. At the end of the time interval, whenthe timers release lever permits the drawer to open, the spring 45 isfreed, and the actuator returns to its rest position.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show schematically, a subassembly of interactingcomponents for joggling cigarettes in the storage chamber to prevent thecigarettes from jamming and failing to fall one at a time onto thedrawers carriage part 37 with each cycle. FIG. 7 shows a portion of thecigarette storage chamber comprising floor 19, floor edge 21, front walland slot 22. Below the chamber drawer 18 is in its open position withthe cigarette carriage 37 shown empty. Near tracks 25 and slightlyrearward of carriage 37 are bumpers having top surface 81, front taper82, and rear taper 83. Also shown are a typical drawer biasing spring 28and cigarettes A, B and C in the storage chamber.

In FIG. 8 drawer 18 has been moved partially inward, with taper 83contacting, rotating and joggling cigarettes B and A. FIG. 9 shows thedrawer moved to its fully closed position at which time spring 28 iscammed upward by the inclined portion of track 25, and carriage part 37becomes aligned with slot 22 whereby cigarette B falls onto thecarriage. The upward motion of the spring into the area of slot 22 isabrupt and thus further joggles cigarettes it contacts directly andindirectly. When the drawer opens, these various relative positions arereversed and further joggling occurs.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a cigarette igniting and dispensing apparatus ofthe type having:

(a) a housing with a storage chamber therein;

(b) a drawer including a cigarette-carriage part, said drawer beingmovably mounted in said housing, and which drawer is capable ofreceiving an unlighted cigarette from said storage chamber anddispensing such cigarette after ignition;

(c) ignition means carried by the housing for igniting one end of eachcigarette;

(d) switch means for energizing the ignition means;

(e) a timer mounted on said housing and engageable by said drawer;

(f) biasing means mounted on said housing to maintain said drawer in aclosed position, the improvement which comprises;

(g) said timer including a movable shaft, a winding lever protrudingradially from said shaft capable of being rotated upon closing of saiddrawer, a spring attached to said winding lever which is stressed uponthe rotation of said arm, and which spring drives said timer uponrelease, a release lever capable of releasing said biasing means uponrelease of said timer thereby causing said drawer to open;

(h) a resilient push member mounted on said housing;

(i) an actuator movable on said housing including a switch member whichcommunicates with said push member such that said push member will drivesaid cigarete to adjacent said ignition means, and which actuatorreleases said spring in said timer and closes said switch means toenergize said ignition means.

2. A cigarette igniting and dispensing device as recited in claim 1further comprising a clamp pivotally mounted on the drawer, the clamphaving a finger adjacent the carriage part and being biased to pivotwhereby the finger bears against a cigarette on said carriage part whensaid drawer is moved to its open position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,301,305 11/1942 Mayer 221 -147X 2,342,748 2/1944- Mayer 221-447 X 3,319,819 5/1967 Naujoks et al22l-15 2,216,675 10/ 1940 Prescott et al. 221-15 ROBERT B. REEVES,Primary Examiner D. A. SCHERBEL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 221-147

